Jesus called out to them and told them not to be afraid!

John 6:16-21 We can walk on water, with Jesus!

That evening his disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed out across the lake toward Capernaum. But soon a gale swept down upon them as they rowed, and the sea grew very rough. They were three or four miles out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking toward the boat! They were terrified, but he called out to them and told them not to be afraid. Then they were willing to let him in, and immediately the boat was where they were going!

Food for thought!

Since yesterday, and for the next few days, we are in chapter six of the Gospel of St. John. Yesterday, we say Jesus doing a miracle by multiplying bread. Today, he walks over the water. These two miracles are meant to prepare his disciples for what Jesus will teach us in the next days about the bread of heaven. But before, from today's story, we learn a number of things. We  learn that Jesus watches us; he may seem to be away, but in fact he is fully aware of what is happening with us. Up on the hill Jesus had been since yesterday alone with his father in prayer, watching his disciples too. He had not forgotten them; He was not too busy with God to think of them. Even now, we know that though up in heaven with His Father, he still watches us; he knows all about me, all about you. That's why he said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20).

God cannot forget us. He said, "Never! Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you. See, I have tattooed your name upon my palm." (Is. 49:15-17).

Jesus watched them and he watches us. However,  he does not make things easy for us. He lets us fight our own battles. Like a parent watching his son put up a splendid effort in some athletic contest, he does not substitute him but rather feels proud of him.

 Jesus does not remove challenges from our life; he empowers us to face them. Remember this as you too struggle with storms in your life. Remember that life is lived with the loving eye of Jesus upon us.

This said, Jesus is not a sadist; he does not enjoy seeing us struggle and fight; he does not stay indifferent when we are drowning; he comes down. Down from the hillside Jesus came to enable the disciples make the last pull that would reach them to safety. He does not watch us with serene detachment; when strength is failing he comes with strength for the last effort which leads to victory. Jesus watches, Jesus comes and Jesus helps. It is the wonder of the Christian life that there is nothing that we are left to do alone.

When Jesus came to the them, the disciples immediately reached the shore. Jesus brings us to the haven. In the presence of Jesus the longest journey is shorter and the hardest battle easier. In Psalm 46:1, we learn, "God is our refuge and strength, a t ested help in times of trouble."

He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do!

John 6:1-15

After this, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. And a huge crowd, many of them pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover celebration, were following him wherever he went, to watch him heal the sick. So when Jesus went up into the hills and sat down with his disciples around him, he soon saw a great multitude of people climbing the hill, looking for him.

Turning to Philip he asked, “Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” (He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.) Philip replied, “It would take a fortune[a] to begin to do it!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a youngster here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish! But what good is that with all this mob?”

“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus ordered. And all of them—the approximate count of the me n only was five thousand—sat down on the grassy slopes. Then Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks to God and passed them out to the people. Afterwards he did the same with the fish. And everyone ate until full! “Now gather the scraps,” Jesus told his disciples, “so that nothing is wasted.” And twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers! When the people realized what a great miracle had happened, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”

Jesus saw that they were ready to take him by force and make him their king, so he went higher into the mountains alone.

Food for thought!

Today, we begin the sixth chapter of the gospel of John. We shall dwell on this chapter for some days. It is full of eternal truths. First and foremost, look at this phrase: "After this, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. And a huge crowd, many of them pilgrims on their way t o Jerusalem for the annual Passover celebration, were following him wherever he went." As you can see, it was Jesus who lead these people accross the Sea to a place where there was no food to eat. Why did he do this? Why does he do this?

We must remember in our most desperate moments in life that it is God who has often led us to the very place we cry out from... the place where we face impossibilities. And God has led us to this place, as he did to the people in today's gospel reading. God sometimes allowes the storm, the challenge, the problem in our life . . . with a plan to use it ALL for your good and HIS glory! Did you notice that "When the people realized what a great miracle had happened, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”? God wants us to praise him at the end our ordeal.

Sometimes Jesus asks us questions whose answer he knows already. Yes, he asks us questions to stretch our faith or, as we normally say, to pull our  leg. Jesus knows what he is going to do in our situations, in our problems and yet he questions us. Remember this and you won't panic as Phillip did. Be like that little boy; just give all you have to the Lord; do your part; do your best; be your best. Don't say like Andrew that it is too lilttle. Remember little with Jesus is much. With Jesus expect the unexpectable.

The message that Jesus needed the Disciples to understand was that it was by faith that they could deal with lack of bread. It’s the message He wants you to know, as well. In the Bible, people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work (Romans 4:5).

If God has allowed the challenge, He will make a way through it. Be certain that God is only allowing the challenge because He knows the blessing behind it. Through the challenge, God is giving you the opportunity to experience, first hand, His miraculous and sufficient power in your life.

Like Phillip and Andrew we often

are faced with what is absolutely impossible in the eyes of man, but to God, it is merely an opportunity to display His awesome power. It is an opportunity for Him to showcase His ability to overcome any and all situations, without exception! In your challenges of life, your spirit can be quieted by grabbing hold of the Truth: If God has allowed me to get into this challenge, He will make a way through it. He has assured us that He is with us always. (Matthew 28:20). To him be praise and power and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In Jesus there's life!

John 3:31-36

[After speaking to Nicodemus,  Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and stayed for a while in Judea and baptized there. Then John the Baptist told the people about Jesus:] “He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth. He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Those who believe him discover that God is a fountain of truth. For this one—sent by God—speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit. The Father loves this man because he is his Son, and God has given him everything there is. And all who trust him—God’s Son—to save them have eternal life; those who don’t believe and obey him shall never see heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them.”

Food for thought!

JOHN the Baptist is telling the people about the supremac y of Jesus. He is saying that if we want information, we have to go to the person who possesses that information. If we want information about a family, we will get it at first hand only from a member of that family. If we want information about a town we will get it at first hand only from someone who comes from that town. So, then, if we want information about God, we will get it only from the Son of God ("For this one—sent by God—speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit. The Father loves this man because he is his Son, and God has given him everything there is."); and if we want information about heaven and heaven's life, we will get it only from him who comes from heaven.

When Jesus speaks about God and about the heavenly things, he's not telling us second-hand tale; his information is not from a secondary source; he tells us that which he himself has seen and heard. To put it very simply, because Jesus alone knows God, he alone can give us the facts about God, and these facts are the gospel.

The gospel says, "And all who trust him—God’s Son—to save them have eternal life; those who don’t believe and obey him shall never see heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them." Believing in Jesus means at least three things. (a) It means believing with all our hearts that God is as Jesus presented him to be. It means believing that God loves us, that God cares for us, that God wants nothing more than to forgive us. (b) It means that we must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that in him is the mind of God, that he knew God so well, was so close to God, was so one with God, that he could tell us the absolute truth about him. (c) It means that we must stake everything on the fact that what Jesus says is true. Whatever he says we must do; whenever he commands we must obey. When he tells us to cast ourselves unreservedly on the mercy of God we must do so. We  must take Jesus at his word. Every smallest action in life must be done in unquestioning obedience to him.

1 John 5:11-12

And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have life.

Shut up that He may start telling you!

John 3:16-21

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Food for thought!

Jesus continues his teaching. Indeed, we must say that he begins his real teaching. As Jesus talks more and more, our friend Nicodemus is talking less and less. Did you notice that up to now Nicodemus was more argumentative and even stubborn in his questions? (Jn 3:4)

"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re- enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born- from- above' talk?"

Yesterday, Nicodemus was brief: (Jn 3:9) “How can these things be?” he just said.

Today, Nicodemus is completely silent; he is no longer saying anything, he is no longer arguing, he's now receptive, he's surrendered. And as he gives in, Jesus gives out all there's to say; as he surrenders Jesus leads, now it is Jesus talking, and man listening. Now it is the moment of revelations of eternal secrets.

You know what, many of us are like this Nicodemus; we come to the Lord (or to church) armed with questions and arguments and concerns. Some of us, when we go to the Lord, we do all the talking all the time,  asking why me, why now, why all this... we don't want to stop for Jesus to start; we don't want to give in, in order for Jesus to give out what he holds for us, we don't want to surrender for Jesus to lead us; we don't want to listen for Jesus to talk.

When Nicodemus stopped arguing, Jesus started to reveal to him: (Jn 3:14-18)

14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

All this teaching was said by Jesus when Nicodemus stopped talking and started to lis ten. Let us learn to listen that the Lord may talk. Yes, sometimes the best we can do when we go to Jesus or prayer or church is to just shut up and give Jesus a chance to talk. Don't do all the talking; do all the listening, so that Jesus may start revealing to you the mysteries of life. Talk less that Jesus may talk more.

If you´re not dead, then you?re not done!

John 3:7-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Food for thought!

A

s we said yesterday, Nicodemus was one of the most powerful and influential men in all of Israel during his time. Nicodemus is a wealthy, powerful man. Yet, he is a man with an itch that neither he, nor his money, nor his power can scratch. During the course of the learning, Jesus refers to Nicodemus as “Teacher of Israel”. This tells us that Nicodemus was an educated man, but despite his learning, there were some things this man did not know. But, one night, this rch, powerful, educated man found himself alone in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Nicodemus learned that night would prove to be the greatest lessons of his life!

Let us consider what Nicodemus learnt that night. We all know that human birth is a marvel that no one can fully explain! When Jesus talks of a "new" birth, he is indirectly talking of the first birth, the physical birth, as a necessary condition for the spiritual birth. He is telling us that for a man to get to heaven he must hav e two birthdays. There must be a day when he was born into the kingdom of men and a day when he is born into the kingdom of God! There are a few ways that physical birth can be used to illustrate spiritual birth.

1. Physical birth provides life – All babies have life because they are born! Likewise, spiritual birth provides a person with spiritual life, 1 John 5:12.

2. Physical birth only happens once – Physically speaking, you can only be born once. Spiritually, the same thing is true! Your spiritual birth is a one time event. It cannot be undone and it cannot be repeated!

3. Physical birth takes place because of the suffering on another – A mother enters the very jaws of death to bring life into this world. Jesus entered the cruel jaws of death so that we might be born again. The new birth rests squarely upon the pain and suffering of another! Jesus!

4. Physical birth gives the infant a brand new start – No baby is born with a pa st! Babies have no past, only a present and a future! So it is with the new birth. When you get born again, you get a brand new start. Your past is deleted, wiped away and a new, clean future lies in front of you! It is like you get a brand new slate on which nothing is written. This is the invitation Jesus is making to you and me as long ago he made it to Nicodemus. Start anew; live the old ways; the old habits; the old friends; the old places; the old life; the old mentality. Get a fresh Start!

Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you’ve been through, it’s never too late to begin again. Regardless of your past failure or your present struggle, God offers you a new beginning. God always offers a new chance. A new opportunity. A new life. At one time or another, all of us get lost in the middle of our song. A failed marriage, a broken dream, a disappointing career, a financial setback, or a family struggle causes us to hang our heads low and wonder where things went wrong. We assume others are watching us like a panel of unforgiving judges, marking our missed notes with enthusiasm. Even worse, we assume God is the head judge, giving disapproving attention to our forgotten melody. With each mistake or setback, we grow ever more nervous, certain we’ll receive a failing grade. Good or bad, clean or dirty, lost or found, every part of your life can be given to God. If you’re not dead, then you’re not done! Why not claim today as a day of new beginnings?

"Dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us." (Phillipians 3:13-14)

(More on this tomorrow)

Start all over again!

John 3:1-8

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again. ’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, ‘How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Food fo

r thought!

Today, we begin a series of lessons. Very difficult lessons, on being born again. Jesus is urging us all to be born again; to start all over again. The real difficult is this: how can a grown up man or woman like you, with your age, with such strongly held habits, convictions, and ways of doing things, ever start again? Why does Jesus call us to leave our comfort zones to go to new territories? This is what bothers Nicodemus: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

Nicodemus the man. He was one of the most powerful and influential men in all of Israel during his time.  Nicodemus is a wealthy, powerful. Yet, he is a man with an itch that neither he, nor his money, nor his power can scratch.  During the course of the learning, Jesus refers to Nicodemus as “a master of Israel”. This title means “teacher”.  This tells us that Nicodemus was an educated man,  but despite his learning, there were some things this man did not know. But, one night, this rich, powerful, educated man found himself alone in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  What Nicodemus learned that night would prove to be the greatest lessons of his life!

Did you notice that the class is at night, under the cover of darkness? It is always night when we come to Jesus; it is always day when we leave Jesus, after being instructed. Nicodemus has received a lot of criticism for approaching Jesus at night.  Some people have suggested that he came at night because he was ashamed and was trying to hide what he was doing.  I don’t think that was the case at all!  I think he came at night because he was, like many of us, a busy man and he knew that Jesus was also a busy man.  I think he came at night because he wanted some uninterrupted time with Jesus! Night time, when all are sleeping in your house and neighbourhood, is the best time to earnestly pray because the re is not much distractions.

Now, you will notice that when this man came to Jesus, he came humbly and was very complimentary to Jesus.  He came with some serious questions, but I dare say that he did not expect the answer he received.  Jesus told him, “You must be born again!” Surely, Nicodemus must have thought this was a mistake. After all, if you looked at this man and at all that he had going for him, you would never expect him to need to be born again!  Not Nicodemus!  Maybe some other man, some other woman needs to be born again, may be my spouse, my friend, my neighbour, but not me. Not someone like Nicodemus, who apparently has everything he needs.  He has all the plusses and none of the minuses, from a human perspective.

It is exactly to Nicodemus (and by extension to you and me) that the divine teacher is saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you must be born again.” Another way of saying, you must start all over again, like a new baby born for the first time into this life. Jesus is saying that we have to see life as if for the first time; we have to listen to the Word of God as if for the first time.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that just as the wind can be felt, it can be measured and the effects of it can be seen; where it came from and where it went, remains a mystery. The new birth is the same way.  You cannot see God do His work in a human heart.  But, you can see the effects of the wind of the Spirit in a life!  When you see a drunkard leave his bottle, you know God has been working!  When you see two enemies reconciled, you know God has been at work.  When you see an unfaithful spouse turning faithful, you know God has passed by. When you see a wicked, hateful person turn into a sweet, loving, holy saint, you know the wind of the Spirit has been blowing in his or her soul.  It is a mystery because we do not see it happen.  But, there is no denying the effects of the power of God when He works in the hum an heart. That's is new birth. That's being born again.

Now you see that all of us need a new birth, in some area of our life. We all have to begin all over again. We have to start anew. (More on this tomorrow).

The Divine Mercy Sunday!

John 20:19–31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a we

ek later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

Food for thought!

As we come to the end of the written gospel, we are reminded that this is not all the gospel; there is still more good news that was not  written nor was writable down in human words. Indeed, most of what we have of Jesus is what he did in the last three years of his life. What, for instance, did Jesus do during his 30 years of hidden life? As we know, Jesus lived about 33 years of age, of which some 30 years, he spent at Nazareth, his home village. But as to what he did during this time, we know very little. The gospels focus on his last 3 years. This is why John confesses that "There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books."

We are not sorry for what was not written down because what we have is what our heavenly Father intended for us. In other words, although we don't have all the good news of Jesus, we have all the good news of Jesus that we need and that God intended for us and for our salvation: 

"Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These  are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it." (John 20:30-31)

As we read the written gospel, we believe the unwritten gospel as well. This is what Jesus is recommending Thomas to do: Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

And talking of seeing and believing. Today’s gospel gives us an example of a man who struggled with the two. His name is Thomas. “In the evening of the day Jesus rose from the dead, the first day of the week, ... the disciples had met ... Jesus came and stood among them (John 20:19).” Jesus had told them, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). 

On the first Christian Sunday morning following the resurrection of the Lord, all the disciples are gathered for Sunday service and what do we notice? Thomas is not there. Where i s Thomas? You can see that Thomas is like one of these modern-day Christians who do not go to church regularly on Sundays. Such people are not there in church when Jesus comes to meet his people and to strengthen them in their faith. As a result, they remain with their doubts. 

Initially all the disciples had their doubts. But because of their encounter with the risen Lord in Sunday worship their doubt was turned into faith. Thomas missed that experience. But, being a wise man, Thomas resolved never again to miss the Sunday gathering of believers. The gospel reading continues, “A week later [i.e. the following Sunday] his disciples were again in the house, and [this time around] Thomas was with them [and as usual] Jesus came and stood among them (John 20:26). 

This time Thomas had his own share of the resurrection experience. Immediately his doubt changed into faith and he fell down and worshiped Jesus, saying, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). 

Now ask yourself, What if Thomas had stayed away from church saying, “Prove it! Prove it to me that Jesus is risen and then I will come,” would it be possible to prove it to him by arguments alone? Sometimes the best argument you can give to sceptics about faith and God, is a sentence in three words: “Come and see.”

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Divine Mercy. Or better, it is the feast of the benevolence of the Lord. Jesus is indeed benevolent and merciful, because when the other disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord,” he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail-marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A  week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”

Notice the words of Jesus are the words that were said by Thomas. This is very interesting. It means that when Thomas said what he said, Jesus was invisibly there listening to him and even seeing him. Fortunately, he did not blast him; he waited for eight days to speak to him. 8 days of waiting! Jesus is indeed merciful; he is kind; he benevolent. "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10).

“The Lord our God is merciful and pardons even those who have rebelled against him.” (Daniel 9:9)

"LORD, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared." (Psalm 130:3-4).

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." (Lamentations 3:22).

"For thou, Lord,

 art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:5).

Be the Good News!

Mark 16:9-15

After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from seven demons. 10 She went to his former companions, now weeping and carrying on, and told them. 11 When they heard her report that she had seen him alive and well, they didn't believe her. 12 Later he appeared, but in a different form, to two of them out walking in the countryside. 13 They went back and told the rest, but they weren't believed either. 14 Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him raised up. 15 Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all.

Food for thought!

Do you realize how many times in this text there is "disbelief" in the resurrection?

Verse 11 When they heard her report that she had seen him alive and well, they didn't bel ieve her.

Verse 13 They went back and told the rest, but they weren't believed either.

Verse 14 Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him raised up.

And do you realize how Jesus, in spite of all this disbelief, still tells such unbelieving people "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all"? Jesus is telling doubting people to announce exactly what they doubt; he is telling them to go forward, in spite of their hesitations.

In other words:

Jesus does not wait for us to get all the knowledge there is on the resurrection; Jesus does not wait for us to understand everything on his resurrection; Jesus does not wait for us to know all the theology; Jesus knows that the resurrection is a mystery that we cannot fully comprehend; so he tells us to go on and announce him, anyway.

Jes

us entrusts to us, you and me, the announcement of this great news; with the little or much we know and believe, Jesus tells us, as he told them then, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all." In other words, what we announce is not ours, it is Jesus' good news. In spite of ourselves, we can be of use to Jesus. Yes, inspite of yourself, you can announce the good news; inspite of myself, I too can announce the good news of Jesus.

And note this one as well: Jesus tells us to into the world! Yes, it is into the world, the real world we live in, the main street, the down town, the office we work in day in, the home we live in; it is there that he sends us to go and be, not the bad news, but the good news. Where we are, we are called to make people happy, not sad. If, when you move into a place, an office, a home, people feel sad, then you are not proclaiming yet the good news; if when you come back home your children instead of r unning to embrace you they run away from you and hide, then you are not good news to them. And your spouse, does s/he rejoice when s/he sees you? Does s/he smile when you return home? If not, you are not being good news to her/him. Something must be done. Go into your world and proclaim the good news. Be good news, not bad news! We are called to leave our comfort zones and take the good news into the world. "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all."

Do whatever Jesus tells you to do!

John 21:1-14

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had p ractically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land. As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

Food for thought!

Imagine this. Simon Peter announces

 to his friends: "I'm going fishing." The rest of them reply, "We're going with you." And off they go into the sea. It must have been a while since Jesus called them to leave everything and go after him. But today, they go back to fishing. Peter is in the lead; he is giving orders and the rest just follow him! As they follow Peter, they work all night and catch NOTHING. As if not enough, Jesus appears to them and they don't recognize him. They are too busy in their business to recognize Jesus.

From yesterday's Gospel

*In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ *

Yes, even disciples of Jesus miss him. Thanks to Jesus, if and when we miss him, he does not give up on us. Jesus appeared to them in yesterday's and today's gospel reading. Jesus came and gave them new rules. It is no longer Peter giving orders; it is Jesus in the driver's seat. Peter's driving leads to the wrong side, that is, on the left side of the boat; and as always we cannot get much if we keep going and working in the wrong; from the wrong we don't get a right.

Fortunately we have JESUS, who shows us what's good and right: "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." And they obeyed. The disciples did what Jesus said. And because they obeyed, all of a sudden there were so many fish in the net that they weren't strong enough to pull it in.

This Gospel tells us that sometimes, like Peter and his friends, we make wrong decisions in life; we throw the nets on the wrong side. All of us, we are where we are because of the decisions we have been making all along; it is our decisions that brought us to where we are! We are the way we are because of the decisions we make. As they say, "We make the decisions, and the decisions make us!" That is the bad news.

The good news, is that Jesus can undo our bad decisions; Jesus knows where we can fish best. And when he tells us to do so, WE SHOULD OBEY and see what happens. Even when he tells us to fish against tradition or custom or others' expectations. Jesus knows best what's best for each one of us; what he says is always the best course of action. We do well to follow Mary's advice at the wedding at Cana: "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do." (John 2:5). That's the rule of thumb.

Tell your Story!

Luke 24:35-48

35 The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognized Jesus at the breaking of bread. 36 They were still talking about this when Jesus himself stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 37 They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. 38 He continued with them, "Don't be upset, and don't let all these doubting questions take over. 39 Look at my hands; look at my feet-- it's really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn't have muscle and bone like this." 40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 They still couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true. He asked, "Do you have any food here?" 42 They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. 43 He took it and ate it right before their eyes. 44 Then he said, "Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Mo ses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled." 45 He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. 46 He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, 47 and then a total life- change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations-- starting from here, from Jerusalem! 48 You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses.

Food for thought! Tell your story and your story will tell you who you are!

Two disciples met the risen Lord on the way to Emmaus. After recognising Jesus, they hurriedly came back to Jerusalem to share their experience with the other apostles. And «While they were telling their story, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you'» (Luke 24:36).

It is in the process of sharing and of telling our story that Christ makes sense of things. Keeping silen t does not help; sharing with someone always helps bring clarity to our confusion. The whole situation seemed to the two disciples to have no explanation. Their hopes and dreams were shattered. Everything seemed meaningless until they talked; until they shared; until they told their story, first to Jesus (yesterday's gospel), and today to the others. That is when the meaning of life became clear and the darkness gave way to light.

Like we said yesterday, our individual stories are not meaningless, they are meaningful, that is, when seen through the eyes of Jesus. Look at your story, your life through the eyes of Jesus and you will see that it carries much meaning. Have you ever told your story? Have you ever shared your story? Do you come home in the evening and share the story of your day, or you think that your story is of no interest to anybody? Do you find time to sit with your people at home to listen to their story? Parents, do you ever listen to the story of your children ? Or you think their small stories are nothing? Do you prefer watching movies to listening to your spouse and children? When did you last listen to anyone’s story? When did you last tell your story to anybody? Tell your story and your story will tell you who you're; reveal your story and your story will reveal who you are.

See how Jesus' story helped the disciples to understand theirs: «Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.» He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their stories. In other words, when we read scripture we come to understand our story. God as Master Weaver, Master Builder, redeemed the story of Joseph in Egypt. Can’t he redeem your story as well?

Jesus turned their sadness into Joy!

Luke 24:13-35 

Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’ Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself. When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’ They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

Food for thought!

The Gospel of today is about change, from nonsense to sensible; from hopelessness to hopefulness. Jesus' death was a disaster in many ways; it disappointed everybody, including his close followers, the disciples. In this true story, they don't hide their frustration: "Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free." Their hopes were that Jesus was the man to lead them. But when they least expected, he vanished in a very shameful manner. Jesus disappointed his own. Before we go any further,  do you have anyone who might have disappointed you? Think of him as you read on.  

Notice how Jesus makes sense of things that are humanly senseless. The whole situation seemed to these two men to have no explanation, to be disappointingly absurd.. These men's hopes and dreams had been shattered. There was only regret. That is, until Jesus came and walked with them; he came and talked to them, and slowly but gradually the meaning of his suffering and death became clear and the darkness became light; it all became meaningful. With Jesus life is meaningful; he makes our nonsense become sensible; our meaninglessness become meaningful; our night become day; our sunset become dawn; he makes us see our problems and crises as opportunities; he makes life come out of death.

What Jesus did to the two disciples of Emmaus, he does to you and to me; he does to our life, our families, our communities. That is why you should never consider your life meaningless; with Jesus life is very meaningful. "Don't you see that these things in your life had to happen? Are you so thick- headed! So slow- hearted?" Let Jesus into your problem and your problem will cease to be a problem but a prospect. Try it. This means looking at your problem or looking at the person who disappointed you through the eyes of Jesus. Where Jesus is, there is hope and love and prospects. 

Jesus acted as if he were going on!

Did you notice that Jesus made as if he would have gone on? He would not force himself upon them; he awaited their invitation to come in. God gave to men the greatest and the most perilous gift in the world, the gift of free-will; we can use it to invite Christ to enter our lives or to allow him to pass on. When they did invite Jesus, he came as he says in the Book of Revelation: “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

The disciples recognized Jesus when he broke the bread!

It was at an ordinary meal in an ordinary house, when an ordinary loaf was being divided, that these men recognized Jesus. It is not only at the communion table we can be with Christ; we can be with him at the dinner table too. He is not only the host in his Church; he is the guest in every home.

They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem!

See how these two men, when they received such great joy, hastened to share it. It was a seven miles journey back to Jerusalem, but they could not keep the good news to themselves. The Christian message is never fully ours until we have shared it with someone else. Learn to share your joy and your joy will share you. Share your pain and your pain will vanish; share your doubt and your doubt will go. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together and told them their story too: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up-- Simon saw him!"

When they reached Jerusalem, they found others who had already shared their experience. It is the glory of the Christian that he lives in a fellowship of people who have had the same experience as he has had. It has been said that true friendship begins only when people share a common memory and can say to each other, "Do you remember?" Our friends are those who share our memories, our experiences, our ups and downs. Jesus is our true friend. He comes to us even when we are on our way to Emmaus.

Called by name!

John 20:11-18

Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

Food for thought: What's in the name?

In this reading something interesting happens. It is the name calling. When the angels found Mary, they called her "woman". When Jesus found Mary he also referred to her as "woman". As long as Mary was being referred to as "woman" she could not connect the dots; she could not know that it was Jesus.

Mary could not recognize Jesus because she was taking him to be a mere gardener. The gospel says that "Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him." It was when Jesus called her by her name “Mary” that she discovered who Jesus was. In other words, as soon as Jesus called her by name, she immediately k

new him to be Jesus. All this shows us that names are important in our life; we need them for identification. We do well to call ourselves by names and not by our titles. Titles are about our job; our names are about our person; titles are about what we do, while our names are about what we are. Titles can be lost; names cannot.

Sometimes we demand others to not call us by our name; we prefer being called by our titles like doctor, sir, Madame, mister and misses.  We feel offended when someone calls us by our real name.  When Jesus  addressed Mary by her name, she finally came to know who Jesus is.

Another reason Mary could not recognize Jesus was because of her tears. Four times the word weeping appears in the gospel reading: 

*Mary stayed outside near the tomb, **weeping**. Then, still **weeping**, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why

are you **weeping?**’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you **weeping?”***

The tears blinded her eyes so that she could not see Jesus clearly. That is natural and common. When we are crying we don't see things clearly. We focus on our agony and nothing else matters but our agony. In aby way, we must never allow our tears to blind us to the promises of God. Tears there must be, but through the tears we should remind ourselves of God's promises. Sometimes in the face of tragedy and disappointment, we can only hide ourselves in the promises of God until the storm passes by. We have to reassure our heart with the facts of God when we can’t calculate the sums of life. We have to tell ourselves the truth, regardless of appearances to the

 contrary: Not some things, but all things work together.

Twice Mary was asked *Woman, why are you ***weeping? **She was consistently and constantly crying. When sorrow comes, we must never let tears blind our eyes to Jesus. Because of their tears some people gave up on Jesus; they couldn't see him through their tears. As I have always said, our problems and tears should not take us away from the Lord but to him. The more we cry the more we should hold onto him, because he promised us that he will never abandon us, come what may.

Thanks to the women!

Matthew 28:8-15 Women tell men!

Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples. And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Rejoice!’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’ While they were on their way, some of the guard went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened. These held a meeting with the elders and, after some discussion, handed a considerable sum of money to the soldiers with these instructions, ‘This is what you must say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” And should the governor come to hear of this, we undertake to put things right with him ourselves and to see that you do not get into trouble.’ The soldiers to ok the money and carried out their instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews.

Food for thought.

Two women (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) were the first to receive the news of the Risen Lord and to encounter him alive after death. They had been there at the Cross; they had been there when he was laid in the tomb; and now there are there to receive Jesus from death; these women were the first people to know the joy of the Resurrection. Because they were the first to encounter the risen Jesus, these women are urged to share the news. Their first duty is to share the news with men. "Go, tell my brothers!" is the first command which comes from Jesus to the man or woman that has discovered the wonder of Jesus Christ. Thanks to these women that men came to know of the news of the Risen Lord. Indeed, women can and should evangelize men.

This said, isn't it odd that it was just the women that came to the tomb that morning? Where were / are men? By an d large, even today, if it weren't for the women in the church, most churches would have to shut their doors! Thank God for these women who loved and love Jesus with all their hearts! We thank our women and their dedication. Because of you, our churches are still open.

The women are urged to rejoice. The word with which the Risen Christ meets them is "Rejoice!" The man or woman that has met the Risen Lord must live forever in the joy of his presence from which nothing can part him any more. Not even our trials can separate us from God. Our problems should lead us even closer to God because, as Charles R. Erdman once said, "All things work together for good not by inherent force, not by fate or chance, but by divine control." For that reason, at the outset of every crisis or problem, we either we’ll collapse in despair and say, “All these things are against me.”Or we’ll decide to view them through the prism of Romans 8:28 and say, “All the se things may appear to be against me, but according to God’s Word, all these things will work themselves out for my good in God’s timing and providence.”

This notwithstanding, as some women get ready to spread the good news,  some men are getting ready to spread lies. Always, we shall have people against what Christ tells us to do. Sometimes these people are church goers, like in today's gospel reading. When some of the guard came to the chief priests and told them the story of the empty tomb, these priests were desperately worried men. Was it possible that all their planning had come to nothing? So they formed a simple plan; they bribed the members of the guard to say that Jesus' disciples had come while they slept and had stolen his body.

It is interesting to note the means that the priests used in their desperate attempts to eliminate Jesus. They used calumny to incite the people.  They used illegality to try him. They used slander to charge him  to Pilate. And now they were using bribery to silence the truth about him. And they failed. *Magna est veritas et praevalebit*, ran the Roman proverb, saying great is truth and it will prevail. It is the fact of history that not all men's evil machinations can in the end stop the truth. The gospel of goodness is greater than the plots of wickedness. So, as Jesus said, Do not be afraid!

Hallelujah!

John 20:1-9

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’ So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Food for thought on Easter! DID HE OR NOT RISE FROM THE DEAD?

What do you think? Did Jesus rise or not from the dead? Well, let's look at the gospel reading of this Sunday. Mary comes to the tomb a good while before daylight. When she arrives, she finds the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Immediately, she runs to find the disciples of Jesus and she tells them that the body of their Lord is missing from the tomb. When they hear this news, Peter and John runs to the tomb to see what has happened. When they arrive, they both see that linen clothes are lying there undisturbed and the napkin that had been around His face lying folded, in a place by itself.

What do the grave clothes tell us about the resurrection of Jesus? First, I believe that Jesus left His grave clothes behind for a reason. He left them behind so that they could preach a message to all those who saw them early on that Sunday morning. The gospel says that the linen clothes were lying still in their folds. This means that they looked exactly like they were still around the body of Jesus. You see, the burial spices would have hardened the cloths around the body and would have formed a cocoon; the cloths still resembled the shape of the body of Jesus.

Another truth to note is that the scene is very orderly and undisturbed. Had the body been taken by grave robbers, the wrappings around the body would not have been removed, and if they had been removed, they would not have been left in such an orderly fashion. Then, there is the matter of the napkin, which had covered the head of Jesus. Had the body been removed by others, the napkin would merely have lain where it had fallen. Instead, it had been folded and laid in a place by itself. Everything speaks of calmness and order in the empty tomb of Jesus!

The only logical conclusion to the matter is that the tomb was a scene of order and calm because Jesus had merely passed through His grave clothes; he simply evaporated. He then must have folded His own napkin and laid it aside. He left behind a scene of peace and order so that all those who look in would believe. And they did. At least John did. The gospel says that he saw the grave clothes and believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. That's is the truth.

And talking of truth. The story of the resurrection of Jesus is the story of the triumph of falsity over truth, of injustice over justice, of evil over goodness. Jesus was falsely charged of crimes he did not commit, and unjustly sentenced to a death he did not deserve. His good friend betrayed him, his trusted companions deserted him and his number one man denied him. The people he loved demanded his crucifixion and chose to have the bandit Barabbas released in his place. It is a story of betrayal and lies, dishonesty and meanness, unfaithfulness and wicked violence directed against an innocent and apparently helpless victim. All this comes to a head on Good Friday when we see Jesus scourged, mocked, led on the death march, nailed to the cross where he dies after a few hours and hastily buried in a tomb.

It is good news to know that truth is immortal. We can suppress Truth, accuse it of being a lie, condemn it, torture it, kill it, bury it in the grave but on the third day Truth will rise again. Remember this and do not give up on Truth even when everybody seems to give up on it. Do not give up on Truth; do not give up on Justice. Do not give up on doing what is right. Truth will always be true. Justice will always be just. Right will always be right even when the world around us would have it otherwise. We must learn to believe in the sun even when it is not shining, knowing that it will shine again.

It is the end of the story that counts. That is why today we rejoice and are glad. Even when we are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; even when the enemy seems to be winning the battle in our lives; yes, even when those we know speak evil against us, and give us in to our enemies. Don't give in to lies. Be truthful. Be good to the end. Today Christ has shown us that being and doing good is good. To him be praise and honour and power and glory. Amen. Hallelujah!

Easter Vigil - The Last Chapter!

Mark 16:1-8

The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased embalming spices. Early the following morning, just at sunrise, they carried them out to the tomb. On the way they were discussing how they could ever roll aside the huge stone from the entrance. But when they arrived they looked up and saw that the stone—a very heavy one—was already moved away and the entrance was open! So they entered the tomb—and there on the right sat a young man clothed in white. The women were startled, but the angel said, “Don’t be so surprised. Aren’t you looking for Jesus, the Nazarene who was crucified? He isn’t here! He has come back to life! Look, that’s where his body was lying. Now go and give this message to his disciples including Peter: “‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!E2  ” The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, too frightened to talk.

Food for the thought

In the Bible, whenever God has to make an announcement of extreme importance, He sends that message through an angel. Examples, the conception of Jesus, or the birth of Jesus, were all announced by an angel. Tonight, another angel announces some important news that is unbelievable: Jesus who died, now he's risen; was crucified now he is risen; he is not in the tomb. On that first Easter morning, as dawn was breaking, this special message was delivered by a special angel to special women: "Don’t be so surprised. Aren’t you looking for Jesus, the Nazarene who was crucified? He isn’t here! He has come back to life! Look, that’s where his body was lying."

Note this: Jesus is not risen because the tomb is empty (grave robbers may have stolen the body); the tomb is empty because Jesus is risen. And Jesus is risen because death  is a phase, not a finality; death is a tunnel, not a cave. It’s a one-way route to glory, not a dead-end street to oblivion. This is the great message of the angel; the great message of tonight.

The angel is saying that death is not the end of the story. There is one more chapter to our story. This is the most important chapter because, as the saying goes, they who laugh last laugh best; it is the most important chapter because it is endless. And in the last chapter of the story of Jesus we see ours too; yes there's one more chapter to our life.

It means that just as life does not begin at birth, but before birth, life does not end at death; it continues beyond death. It means that just life does not begin in the womb, but goes through the womb, so too life does not end in the tomb; life goes through the tomb; just as life has to know birth, so too life has to know death. We do not live in the womb for ever; some day, we come out. The same with death, we shall no t stay in the tomb for ever, we shall come out. Yes, we shall overcome, someday.

"Now go and give this message ... Jesus is going ahead of you ... You will see him ... just as he told you before he died!"

It is Finished!

Good Friday - It is finished!

Today, we followers of Christ, do something not common: we celebrate death, the death of someone, of Jesus Christ our Lord. Today, we do not come to church to cry for Jesus, we come for Jesus to cry for us, to suffer for us, to die for us. It is weird, isn't it? I tell you, if you live well your life, if you live your life as Jesus lived his, if we live as Jesus has shown us how to live, when we die, our death will not be lamented, our death will be celebrated, just as we celebrate today Jesus' death.

As Jesus was getting ready to die, the Gospel tells us that He made this simple statement. "It is finished!" It means that even for Jesus, death, his death, was a satisfaction. It is a satisfaction because it came at the right moment, for a right cause. Jesus died happy. It is weird, isn't it?

It is the same satisfaction a painter gets when they apply the final stroke to the paint, and make a sigh like of Jesus, It is finished! It is the same  satisfaction that singers get after putting on a good performance, a good show; as they get away from the stage, they make the same sigh as of Jesus: It is finished. It is the same satisfaction that we get always after sealing a good business deal, as we sign the last page of the agreement, we get that same satisfaction of Jesus: It is finished. The deal is done. It was a win-win deal. It is finished.

When Jesus said, "It is finished", it meant that God the Father in Heaven was satisfied with what Jesus the Son had done on the cross. Yes, when Jesus Christ said these three little words, It is finished, He was telling the world that something great had been accomplished. He was finishing a deal that had been entrusted to him to do; He had just struck a deal.

You know each one of us came into this world, into this life for a deal. That is why you came into this life as woman, and me as man; that's why you're what and who you are, that is why you were born where you were born . That is why you have the talents you have. God custom-built you for something particular, which only you can do; God created you for a deal. How happy shall we die, if at the hour of our death we too cry out loud and clear, It is finished. I mean, our deal, our mission, our task, our vocation.

In Romans 8:28 we do have a God-given assurance that every single circumstance will sooner or later turn out well for those fully committed to him, and Jesus lived a committed life. Romans 8:28 is the promise that morphs us into resilient, cheerful people, whatever our temperament. It’s God’s darkroom in which negatives become positives. It’s His situation-reversal machine in which heartaches are changed into hallelujahs. Good Fridays of our life are changed into Easter Sundays.

So why stay depressed? Why mope around discouraged or moody? Why mark Good Friday as a Mishap? Why live as though God forgot to insert verse 28 into the eighth chapter of Romans. I f  this verse is in your Bible, it should be in your mind and heart. Happy celebrations of Good Friday.

I have given you an example!

John 13:1-15

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was. They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’ When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

Food for thought!

Life in Palestine in the time of Jesus was hard. The popular means of transport was your feet. People walked long distances on rough, dusty roads to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, for example. Travellers often arrived their destinations with sore and aching feet. As a sign of hospitality, the host would see to it that his guests were given a warm foot bath and massage as a way of relieving their aches and pains. This was usually done by the house servants or slaves.

This service of bathing and soothing the tired feet was also provided by the rest houses or inns found at strategic locations along the major roads and highways. Travellers worn out along the way could go into these rest houses and have food and foot bath. Their energy thus restored they would then be able to continue and complete their long journey. That is how such rest houses along the way got the name "restaurants" -- they restored strength to tired and exhausted travellers on the way. The disciples would know why Jesus was washing their feet in light of this cultural background. And for us it is a pointer to the meaning of the Eucharist we celebrate.

Understood in light of the washing of feet, the Eucharist is a place of restoration for people on the way. The life of a Christian in the world is a pilgrimage, a long, hard journey. Along the way we get tired and worn out and we are tempted to give up and turn back. But Jesus has provided us with the Eucharist as a place where we can go in to bathe our aching feet and to be refreshed in body and soul for the journey that is still ahead.

In the story we find that Peter was uncomfortable with having Jesus wash his feet. Peter, who was somewhat of an activist, would have preferred to see himself doing the washing, washing the feet of Jesus and even of the other disciples. Sometimes it is harder to remain passive and allow someone else to bathe us than it is to bathe someone else, as every toddler can tell you. But having our feet washed and washing the feet of others are two sides of the coin we call the Christian life.

The first and most essential part is to let the Lord wash us. As Jesus said to Peter, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me (John 13:8). First, the Lord washes us clean so that we belong to the Lord. Only then are we qualified and empowered to wash the feet of our sisters and brothers in the Lord. When this truth dawned on Peter, he overcame his reluctance and cried out, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" (v. 9). For this to happen all that the Lord needs from us is simply for us to be there, to present ourselves to him and to let him wash us.

The other side of the coin, which is equally important, is that after our feet have been washed by the Lord, after the Lord has loved us, after he has forgiven us, we must go and wash the feet of others, and love or forgive others. That is why, after Jesus had washed his disciples' feet, he said to them: "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord -- and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you" (John 13:12-15).

Washing those who love us or we care for is a lovely thing. Washing those who have betrayed our trust and love is a hard thing to do. Judas was at the table with Jesus. Did you know that only those close to you can betray you? When you have a Judas in your life, he will be a part of your inner circle. He will have walked with you on a personal, intimate level. It is hard for many people to believe that someone who attends church regularly, sings in the choir, or walked and worked with us could possibly betray us. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples!

When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again Jesus went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

They paid him thirty pieces of silver!

Matthew 26:14–25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.” The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “S urely it is not I, Lord?” He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

Food for thought!

For three days we have been with Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. Before we leave him, we ask, why did he do it? Why did Judas betray Jesus? Why would anyone in their right senses betray someone like Jesus? And if one decided to betray Jesus, that is, to give him away, how much would one exchange for Jesus? Why was Jesus betrayed by one of his own?

The gospel sais that they gave Judas 30 pieces of, not of gold, not diamond, but of silver! What is 30 pieces of silver worth today? Well, th e best way to look at it is to remember last Monday's gospel reading. In it, we read, that Mary brought her perfume, very expensive. Judas calculated it to cost 300 silver pieces. The same Judas valued Jesus to be worth 30 silver pieces. The perfume was 10x more expensive than Jesus, that is according to Judas! Judas had lost all proportion of things.

How much money would you accept to deny Jesus? How much would it take for you to abandon Jesus, to never follow Jesus, to never read his word or even to kill him for good from your life?

As we condemn Judas, we do well to remember that we too do exchange Jesus for something else. All it takes is getting a little busy with studies, with work, with a family, or just getting busy with life. Now days, it is easy to trade Jesus for watching a movie instead of praying or reading the Word of God. Trading off Jesus for something else is getting easier and more frequent than we may want to imagine. Jesus is getting cheaper and cheaper than 30 pieces of silver.

St. Paul can help us to recover the value of Jesus. He said: "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ." (Phil. 3:7-8).